It has been nearly a month since the tragedy that took the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others back-handed the world. Sports and entertainment fans everywhere have felt a sort of emptiness attached to these hard-to-accept truths and collectors are buying up Kobe memorabilia at a record rate in order to feel closer to the former Lakers superstar. Despite all of the emotions experienced, one thing is clear; Kobe inspired multiple generations of worldwide fans to play basketball and/or to work harder at being the best version of themselves, just like he did. With this pressing on my mind, I decided to put together a poem to paint the picture of his impact on the facets of how he transcended so many cultures in such a lovely way. 

TO BE CONSIDERED GREAT

There is nothing to say. There is so much to say.

Purple and gold horizon graces all vistas

In the evening as an unfortunate tribute.

A tribute from the people of this world

Emanating energy in the form of melancholy

All combined with a sort of gratitude.

In Thailand they print fake number eight jerseys

Just to bounce a ball on the blacktop to see

What it feels like to be considered great.

In Italy friends like family recall the legends

Of you playing against full-grown men as

A lanky young man with a special drive.

In Korea, they’re shooting a fade-away jumper

And faking the buzzer is about to scream

As they become you for a couple of brief seconds.

On every continent, in every language, fans are

Quarreling like two political parties getting nothing

Done over you versus another equal caliber player.

I thought I’d be seeing you courtside next to

The A-listers hounding the players for the next

Thirty years or so…

My certainty pointed toward your daughter becoming

A basketball icon along the aisles of your ideals

To carry on the part of your mark on the court…

At least a fourth of the planet was shocked in the worst

Sort of way, just as you’d shock teams in the fourth quarter

In the worst sort of way.

You liked to preach getting closer to your ambitions by

Polishing your craft while the world slept – action with

Ambition rather than ambition with procrastination.

From a village of barefoot and dirt to basketball hoops

With a chained net, to small towns with backyard

Athletes to cities with division one everything…

Los Angeles will see the memories of purple and gold

With every evening twilight as the sun’s rays scatter

Like beams of willpower redirected toward every living resident.

There is nothing to say. There is so much to say.

There is so much to remember. There is so much you’ve

Left behind to fuel us to reach our personal treasures.